Novak Djokovic: "Huge honor to be sharing #23 with Serena Williams"

Novak Djokovic stated that it was a "huge honor" to equalling Serena Williams' Grand Slam record, following his 2023 French Open triumph.

Djokovic emerged victorious in the Roland Garros final against Casper Ruud, defeating him 7-6(1), 6-3, 7-5 in three hours and 13 minutes on the iconic Court Philippe-Chatrier. The win marked a historic moment for the Serb, as he claimed his 23rd major title, breaking the record for the most Grand Slams won by any man in the Open Era.

Although Ruud made a strong start, Djokovic rallied back from a 1-4 deficit in the first set by playing a striking tie-break. He continued to play impressive shots in the second and third sets, ultimately sealing his record-breaking victory.

With this victory, Djokovic surpassed Rafael Nadal as the oldest champion at the tournament, winning the title at the age of 36 years and 20 days.

On Sunday, Novak Djokovic took to social media to express his "honor" in equaling the record for the most number of Grand Slams won, alongside the legendary Serena Williams.

Williams concluded her illustrious career with 23 Majors under her belt, with her final Slam victory coming at the 2017 Australian Open.

"Huge honor to be sharing the #23 with you Serena," he captioned his Instagram story.

The Serb's Instagram story

Novak Djokovic takes back World No. 1 spot from Carlos Alcaraz with French Open triumph

2023 French Open - Day Fifteen

Novak Djokovic reclaimed his position as the World No. 1 after his title win at the 2023 French Open. As a result, he is expected to be the top seed at the upcoming 2023 Wimbledon Championships.

During the first four rounds at Roland Garros, the Serb did not drop a single set. However, in his quarterfinal match against Karen Khachanov, he stumbled and lost the first set but recovered quickly and advanced to the semifinals.

He then faced the top seed, Carlos Alcaraz, and defeated him 6-3, 7-5, 6-1, 6-1 as the Spaniard struggled with cramps in the last two sets.

Djokovic went on to secure a straight-sets victory over Casper Ruud in the championship match to lift the trophy at Roland Garros. The win also came with a reward of 1,640 points, propelling him past Alcaraz (7,175) and Daniil Medvedev (6,100) to reclaim the World No. 1 ranking with a total of 7,595 points.